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Breaking: Alberto Gonzales has resigned (MORE: LINKS TO TEXT OF STATEMENTS ADDED)

Posted by: Sister Toldjah on August 27, 2007 at 8:33 am

The NYT reports this morning:

WACO, Tex., Aug. 27 — ­ Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned. A senior administration official said he would announce the decision later this morning in Washington.

Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation, submitted his to President Bush by telephone on Friday, the official said. His decision was not immediately announced, the official added, until after the president invited him and his wife to lunch at his ranch near here.

Mr. Bush has not yet chosen a replacement but will not leave the position open long, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Attorney General’s resignation had not yet been made public.

[...]

The official said that the decision was Mr. Gonzales’s and that the president accepted it grudgingly. At the same time, the official acknowledged that the turmoil over his tenure as Attorney General had made continuing difficult.

“The unfair treatment that he’s been on the receiving end of has been a distraction for the department,” the official said.

The rumor mill in DC is churning with gossip that Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff could be Gonzales’ replacement.

Orin Kerr sees that as a positive development, if true:

Gonzales should have left months ago for the good of the Department, and his departure would be better late than never. Chertoff would be a strong choice for AG: as a former AUSA, former Assistant AG for the Criminal Division, and former federal judge, he’s a much better fit as AG than he was as Secretary of Homeland Security. In a perfect world it would be better to have an outsider come in as AG to let the Department of Justice make more of a fresh start. But then we don’t live in a perfect world, and among the realistic options I think Chertoff is the natural choice.

From an ideological standpoint, I’m not so sure Chertoff would be a good choice, considering how he’s angered and alienated a lot of conservatives over his statements about the immigration bill.

Then again, rumors of Chertoff’s stepping into Gonzales’ role are just that – rumors – at this point.

Stay tuned …

More: Praise for Chertoff from Jonathan Adler, who predicts nevertheless that Chertoff won’t be Bush’s pick.

Update 1: Blogosphere reax are piling up at Memeorandum, with folks on both sides of the aisle expressing a mixture of relief, happiness, and disappointment.

Update 2: CNN reports that “senior admin officials” are saying that Chertoff will get the nod.

Update 3: Here’s text of Gonzales statement. GWB comments on Gonzales resignation here.

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    • 15 Responses to “Breaking: Alberto Gonzales has resigned (MORE: LINKS TO TEXT OF STATEMENTS ADDED)”

    Comments

    1. Leslie says:
      August 27, 2007 at 9:38 am

      ST ponders:

      From an ideological standpoint, I’m not so sure Chertoff would be a good choice, considering how he’s angered and alienated a lot of conservatives over his statements about the immigration bill.

      Ah yes, but isn’t it time we got ideology out of the justice dept.? That’s not the place for it.

    2. TedintheShed says:
      August 27, 2007 at 10:02 am

      Ah yes, but isn’t it time we got ideology out of the justice dept.? That’s not the place for it.

      Do you actually think it wasn’t there to begin with?

    3. Sister Toldjah says:
      August 27, 2007 at 10:14 am

      Fat chance of that happening, Leslie – in any administration.

    4. Lorica says:
      August 27, 2007 at 12:52 pm

      I haven’t been a big fan of Alberto Gonzales, especially since learning about Ramos and Campion. He has not done enough to get these guys out of jail. If the people who wanted Gonzales out would have raised a stink over that, I think they would have found some allies, but this is still over the Attorney General firings, and to me that is such a who cares moment. Since the AGs serve at the pleasure of the President it is his decision to get rid of whomever he desires. Did these same people raise a stink over Bill firing his AGs?? I will give you money if Chuckie Schumer ever batted and eyelid. These two faced asnine pathetic lowlifes continue to think they can say whatever and do whatever and it will have no consequences, they are sorrily mistaken. – Lorica

    5. Lorica says:
      August 27, 2007 at 3:05 pm

      To add to this abit. It floors me that these Dems yak on about how Gonzales was lacking in “independance”. Just because I think this view point is completely lacking in perspective, I would like to bring up Janet Reno. As if she wasn’t doing everything the White House told her to do. Hell they even had Jamie Gorelik there to tell Janet exactly how to do her job. You have to wonder if these Dems are actually dealing with higher than a double digit IQ. – Lorica

    6. G-Monster says:
      August 27, 2007 at 5:01 pm

      I don’t blame Gonzalez for resigning. With the dems controlling congress and going after everyone in the administration, it really can’t be any fun working there. They just drag you in for hearing after hearing after hearing.

    7. Lorica says:
      August 27, 2007 at 5:22 pm

      Thank G-Monster, you gave me a thought.

      I don’t blame Gonzalez for resigning. With the dems controlling congress and going after everyone in the administration

      I have to wonder on the part of the Administration if this wasn’t to have a desired effect. 1st and formost, it is going to slow down a Congress that is hell bent on destruction. Now we have to have a brand new confirmation process. I have to wonder just how much time and energy is going to be wasted on the confirmation of a new AG, when there is less than 18 months left to this adminstration. Logically this makes no sense and only adds to a view that the American People hold, this Congress is more partisan, and therefore more useless than the last Congress. If these guys were working Pay for Performance, I believe that they would owe money for the amount of salary we have paid them already. – Lorica

    8. Terrye says:
      August 27, 2007 at 5:46 pm

      I feel sorry for the guy and I think it is sad that once again the right has helped the Democrats undermine a Republican president.

      Gonzales did not deserve this and half the people who are complaining about him could not begin to do this job.

      And I think that any self destructive conservative who is out there needs to remember who controls the Congress now.

      In fact I think that Dafydd at Big Lizards said it better than I ever could.